Mabfan's Musings

The Blog of Science Fiction Writer Michael A. Burstein

A Thought For Friday the Thirteenth

"I'm Ojo the Unlucky," replied the boy. "I might have known I would fail in anything I tried to do."

"Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?" asked the tin man.

"Because I was born on a Friday."

"Friday is not unlucky," declared the Emperor. "It's just one of seven days. Do you suppose all the world becomes unlucky one-seventh of the time?"

"It was the thirteenth day of the month," said Ojo.

"Thirteen! Ah, that is indeed a lucky number," replied the Tin Woodman. "All my good luck seems to happen on the thirteenth. I suppose most people never notice the good luck that comes to them with the number 13, and yet if the least bit of bad luck falls on that day, they blame it to the number, and not to the proper cause."

Oddly enough, I do have one element of irrational triskaidekaphobia I indulge in. I try to avoid being in the middle of chapter 13 of any book. If I'm approaching chapter 13, I'll place the bookmark near the end of chapter 12 and only resume reading when I know I'll have the time to get through chapter 13 and read a page into chapter 14.